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Commonwealth Games: The top five magic Australian moments from Glasgow, as nominated by you

Updated
Wed Aug 06 09:31:21 EST 2014

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All eyes on Sally... Sally Pearson won gold in the 100m hurdles.

Getty Images: Alex Livesey

Team Australia will leave Glasgow's Commonwealth Games with 49 gold medals and a fresh batch of golden memories that will last forever.

The millions that tuned in to the Games around the world were treated to some sparkling performances from some of the world's best athletes, and the competing Australians certainly provided their share.

We asked you to nominate your favourite moments - the ones that will serve as the lasting image of these successful Glasgow Games.

Here are the top five magic moments from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, as nominated by Grandstand readers.

Golden flag-bearers

The opening and closing ceremonies in Glasgow left millions impressed, and on both occasions the Australian team was led by gold medallists hailing from the North Queensland town of Rockhampton.

Anna Meares, 500m cycling time-trial gold winner and Mark Knowles, captain of the victorious Kookaburras, were given the illustrious honour of carrying the Australian flag into the stadium.

Although it was steeplechase athlete Genevieve LaCaze that captured headlines at the closing ceremony, the title of flag-bearer was fittingly awarded to two Australians at the top of their respective fields.

Aussies smash the 4x100 world record

In the post-fastsuit era, swimming world records are awfully hard to come by - which is why the achievements of Bronte and Cate Campbell, Melanie Schlanger and Emma McKeon stand out as perhaps Australia's highest moment in Glasgow.

A scorching time of three minutes, 30.98 seconds in the 4x100m freestyle was enough to earn the team a gold medal and a new world record in the event.

The record-breaking time shaved 0.74 seconds off the previous record, set in 2009 with the now-banned fastsuits in vogue, and on day one of the Games set a high standard for the Australian swim team to follow.

Sally Pearson stands tall

Australia's athletics team captain Sally Pearson inadvertently found herself at the centre of one of the Games' biggest controversies, but managed to shake all that off to storm to Glasgow gold in the 100m hurdles.

Pearson appeared unfazed by injury concerns, her public bust-up with coach Eric Hollingsworth and the pressure the favourite's tag brings as she recorded a time of 12.67 seconds to pip England's Tiffany Porter at the line.

By successfully defending her Commonwealth Games crown, following Olympic glory two years earlier, Pearson further established herself as one of Australia's greatest ever athletes.